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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rash — a series
  7. staff — a stick
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — what's left
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rule — a law
  24. rest — a break

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