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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — newspapers
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. press — to push
  11. wound — an injury
  12. board — to get on
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fork — in a road
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. press — a publisher
  21. land — ground
  22. wound — an injury
  23. land — a country
  24. dip — a sauce

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