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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spell — magic
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. board — a committee
  7. fall — the season
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spring — of water
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. toast — bread

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