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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitch — completely
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — a break
  7. staff — employees
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. sharp — clever
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. staff — a stick
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. game — a match
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — thin
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. nail — for a hammer

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