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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rule — government
  10. swing — to play on
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. spell — letters
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — a law
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mark — a grade

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