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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fall — the season
  3. spell — letters
  4. degree — temperature
  5. toast — bread
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. degree — an amount
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mate — a friend
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mate — to breed
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fall — to drop
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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