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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. row — a line
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bat — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. spell — magic
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. row — to paddle
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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