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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — farmland
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — magic
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. current — electric
  11. spell — letters
  12. ball — a dance
  13. current — happening now
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — a subject
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. current — of water
  23. field — for sport
  24. saw — the tool

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