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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rule — government
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rule — a law
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. drill — army training
  15. tube — a container
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fall — the season
  24. drill — a practice

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