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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. spell — a short time
  3. season — of the year
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spell — letters
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. present — the time now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. present — a gift
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. present — there
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cap — of ice
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cap — a lid
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. spell — magic

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