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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wind — moving air
  7. spell — letters
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hand — in cards
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hand — help
  18. spell — magic
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. trunk — of a car

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