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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — a cup
  4. club — a group
  5. spell — a short time
  6. last — final
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. last — finally
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mug — a face
  11. bear — the animal
  12. club — for golf
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. branch — a division
  16. mug — to rob
  17. season — in sport
  18. last — to go on
  19. club — for dancing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. season — of the year
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. spell — letters

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