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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mine — for digging
  3. spell — magic
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. season — of the year
  7. rock — a stone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — a lid
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rock — music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. season — in sport
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. branch — a division
  23. spell — letters
  24. branch — of a bank

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