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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. object — to protest
  5. spell — magic
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. object — a thing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. object — an aim
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wake — a trail
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. spell — letters
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pound — a weight
  24. saw — the tool

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