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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. spell — letters
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spring — the season
  5. pop — to visit
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. spell — a short time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pop — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spell — magic
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spring — of water
  18. cue — a signal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spring — a coil
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — a hint

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