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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. mine — for digging
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. drill — army training
  9. club — for dancing
  10. drill — the tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. club — a group
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. drill — a practice
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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