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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spell — letters
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. shower — rain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. spring — a coil
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bound — tied together
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. spring — the season
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bound — certain
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chip — to eat
  18. shower — to wash
  19. spring — of water
  20. chip — for betting
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. spell — a short time
  24. deal — a big deal

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