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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ground — crushed
  5. spell — magic
  6. season — in sport
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ground — a position
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ground — the earth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. spell — a short time
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spell — letters
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. season — of the year
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — clever

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