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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spell — letters
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bound — certain
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cell — in biology
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wind — moving air

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