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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spell — letters
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spell — magic
  7. season — of the year
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. firm — steady
  11. spring — of water
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wake — a trail
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spring — the season
  18. scale — in music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. season — in sport
  21. firm — a company
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. firm — decided

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