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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spell — letters
  4. court — for sport
  5. wind — moving air
  6. court — of law
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rest — a break
  10. court — of a king
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — 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