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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — the time now
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. staff — employees
  7. present — there
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. staff — employees
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — to recline
  22. present — a gift
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — a stick

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