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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. row — to paddle
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spell — letters
  7. current — happening now
  8. rash — hasty
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ground — a position
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ground — the earth
  16. current — electric
  17. row — a line
  18. current — of water
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rash — a series
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spell — magic
  23. ball — a great time
  24. row — a quarrel

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