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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pitch — completely
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — there
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. race — a contest
  15. present — the time now
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bore — to tire
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — a gift
  20. race — humankind
  21. spell — letters
  22. race — the arms race
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cell — in a prison

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