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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. spell — magic
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pop — soda
  10. current — of water
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spell — letters
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — to breed
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mate — a friend
  20. scale — in music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pop — to visit
  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