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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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468
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fall — to drop
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fall — the season
  15. pop — music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pop — soda
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — in cards
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rash — a series

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