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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. last — to go on
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spell — magic
  8. face — to point toward
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a dance
  11. march — the month
  12. content — happy
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. last — finally
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. face — to confront
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. last — final
  21. march — the month
  22. spell — letters
  23. march — music
  24. content — the amount

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