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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hand — help
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — a short time
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — for dancing
  13. spell — letters
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. club — for golf
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bat — the animal
  22. club — a group
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hand — in cards

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