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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. deal — to handle
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. club — for golf
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. spell — letters
  17. staff — a stick
  18. club — a group
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spring — the season
  22. club — for dancing
  23. toast — bread
  24. bulb — for light

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