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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spell — letters
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. suit — clothes
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. game — a match
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. bear — the animal

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