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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. key — in music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a dance
  8. spell — letters
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. key — for a lock
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rash — a series
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spell — magic
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. suit — clothes

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