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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stem — to come from
  4. suit — in cards
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — all right
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — thin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spell — a short time
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. suit — to fit
  22. spell — letters
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — to cool the air

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