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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. content — the amount
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. last — to go on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. last — finally
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — final
  20. bass — the fish
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. can — a tin
  24. bass — low music

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