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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. charge — a price
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spell — a short time
  6. last — finally
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rash — a series
  11. last — final
  12. spell — letters
  13. last — to go on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. charge — in control
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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