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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spell — magic
  7. present — the time now
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bound — certain
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. spell — a short time
  16. degree — from a university
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. present — there
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — tied together
  22. present — a gift
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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