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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spell — magic
  4. roll — a list
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. spell — letters
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spring — of water
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spring — a coil
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. roll — a cake
  23. date — the fruit
  24. spring — the season

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