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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. spell — a short time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spell — letters
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. saw — the tool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. spell — magic
  19. swing — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cap — a hat
  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