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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — completely
  5. content — happy
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stem — to come from
  10. spell — letters
  11. content — the amount
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stem — of a plant

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