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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cap — a hat
  6. hand — help
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — letters
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — a committee
  15. cap — a lid
  16. board — to get on
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cap — of ice

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