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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 116 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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. spell — magic
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cue — for pool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — letters
  19. cue — a hint
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — a signal

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