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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. spell — magic
  3. present — the time now
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spell — letters
  14. pop — soda
  15. spell — a short time
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — to visit
  19. game — a match
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pop — music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fan — a supporter

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