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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rest — a break
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tear — from crying
  9. spell — magic
  10. rest — what's left
  11. swing — to play on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — to rip
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spell — letters
  20. perch — the fish
  21. swing — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. suit — to fit

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