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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mate — to breed
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chest — of your body
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. rock — music
  23. spell — magic
  24. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com