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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cap — a lid
  4. shower — rain
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rash — a series
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bound — certain
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bound — tied together
  14. toast — bread
  15. bound — obliged
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cap — a hat
  20. shower — to wash
  21. spell — magic
  22. cap — of ice
  23. saw — the tool
  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