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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spell — a short time
  3. squash — to crush
  4. file — a tool
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mug — a cup
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pit — in a race
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. file — a document
  15. mug — to rob
  16. staff — employees
  17. rash — hasty
  18. squash — the sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pit — a hole
  22. spell — letters
  23. mug — a face
  24. spell — magic

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