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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — in music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. track — a path
  6. spell — letters
  7. pop — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to click
  10. track — a song
  11. pop — soda
  12. spell — magic
  13. key — the most important part
  14. track — to keep track
  15. object — to protest
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spell — a short time
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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