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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. row — a line
  5. rash — hasty
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ball — a dance
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. toast — bread
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spell — letters
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spell — magic
  21. rash — a series
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. snap — to click
  24. ball — a great time

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