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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mate — a friend
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. spell — magic
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spell — letters
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  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