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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spell — letters
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. band — a ring
  10. roll — a list
  11. deal — to handle
  12. roll — a cake
  13. spell — a short time
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rash — a series
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spell — magic
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. band — a music group
  24. wake — a trail

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