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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — letters
  4. fine — all right
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — a company
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. firm — decided
  11. file — a tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. firm — steady
  14. spell — magic
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — employees
  24. file — a document

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