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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. press — to push
  5. craft — a skill
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. band — a ring
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. press — newspapers
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kick — in football
  14. can — a tin
  15. chip — to eat
  16. band — a music group
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chip — for betting
  21. press — a publisher
  22. craft — boats
  23. spell — a short time
  24. can — to be able to

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