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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 116 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rash — a series
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. club — for dancing
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. clip — to cut
  13. perch — the fish
  14. clip — a video
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. club — a group
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. club — for golf
  24. saw — the tool

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