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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pit — in a race
  3. content — happy
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fall — the season
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fall — to drop
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. content — the amount
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. toast — bread

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