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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fine — all right
  7. spring — the season
  8. spell — letters
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spring — of water
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bound — obliged
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. present — a gift
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bound — tied together
  24. present — there

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