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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lean — thin
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. object — an aim
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mate — a friend
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ball — a dance
  9. spring — of water
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spring — the season
  13. spell — magic
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lean — to bend
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. spell — letters
  18. mate — to breed
  19. object — a thing
  20. club — for golf
  21. object — to protest
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a great time
  24. club — a group

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