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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. charge — in control
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. face — to confront
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bark — to shout
  19. staff — employees
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. face — part of the head
  22. staff — employees
  23. charge — a price
  24. date — the fruit

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