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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rash — a series
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spell — magic
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. capital — money
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — letters
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wind — moving air
  18. capital — a city
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rush — a thrill

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