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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spell — magic
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — a container
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rule — a law
  17. spell — a short time
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rule — government

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