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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cold — an illness
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rock — music
  11. rule — government
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rock — a stone
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rest — a break
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rule — a law
  23. cold — not warm
  24. spell — letters

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