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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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. stem — a stem cell
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. march — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wax — to grow
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — all right
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spell — letters
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. deal — to handle

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