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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. present — the time now
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rest — a break
  7. present — there
  8. shower — rain
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. shower — to wash
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. spell — letters
  16. court — of a king
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — a gift
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — magic
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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