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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. present — there
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — letters
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mate — a partner
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. spell — magic
  23. rash — a series
  24. saw — the tool

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