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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spring — a coil
  5. object — to protest
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stem — to come from
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. object — an aim
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spring — of water
  23. object — a thing
  24. spring — the season

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