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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spell — magic
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. file — a tool
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — letters
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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