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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. season — in sport
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — of the year
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cell — in biology
  18. temple — a place of worship

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