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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. net — after costs
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. net — in sport
  14. club — a group
  15. wake — a trail
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. perch — the fish
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — for golf
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — to sink
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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