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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. present — there
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lie — to recline
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. present — a gift
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — letters
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. prune — to trim
  18. board — a committee
  19. present — the time now
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spell — magic
  24. drill — army training

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