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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. firm — decided
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. firm — steady
  6. clip — to cut
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. firm — a company
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spell — letters
  15. clip — a video
  16. mug — to rob
  17. face — to confront
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. dip — to sink
  21. face — to point toward
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spell — a short time
  24. clip — for paper

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