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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · present · date · hide · rest · deal · bat · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spell — magic
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rest — a break
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spell — a short time
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bat — the animal
  15. spell — letters
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. deal — an agreement

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