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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. fine — all right
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fine — high quality
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. tube — a container

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