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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — letters
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. spell — a short time
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mine — for digging
  24. temple — a place of worship

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