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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. clip — a video
  8. charge — a price
  9. rash — a series
  10. spell — letters
  11. face — to confront
  12. spell — magic
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. clip — for paper
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rash — hasty
  24. face — part of the head

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