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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rock — music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mug — a face
  8. race — the arms race
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. spell — letters
  13. content — happy
  14. bat — the animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. race — humankind
  18. spell — a short time
  19. content — the amount
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mug — a cup
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — to move gently

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