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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. shower — rain
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. key — in music
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spring — of water
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rush — hurry
  19. shower — to wash
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — a short time
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spring — the season
  24. lie — an untruth

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