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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. spell — letters
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — to bear
  13. race — a contest
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spell — a short time
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. squash — to crush
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. can — a tin

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