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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spring — of water
  4. court — of law
  5. spring — the season
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. face — part of the head
  10. track — to keep track
  11. face — to confront
  12. court — for sport
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. ball — a great time
  16. court — of a king
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spell — letters
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. face — to point toward

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