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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · row · toast · spell · dip · season · bore · rash

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. season — in sport
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rash — a series
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spell — magic
  12. rash — hasty
  13. toast — bread
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. dip — to sink
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bore — to tire
  22. row — to paddle
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spell — letters

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