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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chair — a leader
  8. tear — from crying
  9. suit — in cards
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. suit — clothes
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rash — a series
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. spell — magic
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. suit — to fit
  23. spell — letters
  24. squash — to crush

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