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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lie — to recline
  9. current — of water
  10. spell — letters
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. current — electric
  16. rash — a series
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cold — an illness
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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