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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mug — a face
  3. perch — the fish
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. staff — employees
  6. mug — to rob
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mug — a cup
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — clever
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. spell — magic
  24. ruler — for measuring

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