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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. field — for sport
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mug — to rob
  9. tube — a container
  10. field — a subject
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hand — help
  21. field — farmland
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stand — on your feet

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