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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spell — a short time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fall — the season
  7. last — to go on
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rash — a series
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spell — letters
  16. last — finally
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spell — magic
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — final
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. sharp — with an edge

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