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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. row — a line
  5. spell — magic
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. staff — employees
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. spell — letters
  21. row — to paddle
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bat — the animal

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