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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — a short time
  3. board — to get on
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. root — the cause
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spell — magic
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — of water
  18. root — of a word
  19. board — a committee
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spell — letters
  22. wound — an injury
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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