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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lean — thin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. band — a ring
  8. spell — letters
  9. band — a music group
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. chip — to eat
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lean — to bend
  19. date — the fruit
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bowl — a football final

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