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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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Word bank
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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rest — a break
  7. spell — letters
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wound — an injury
  12. season — in sport
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wind — moving air
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rest — what's left
  21. season — of the year
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bay — a horse colour

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