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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — ground
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. season — in sport
  8. land — a country
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. face — to point toward
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — of the year
  14. face — part of the head
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. spell — a short time
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. face — to confront
  19. land — to come down
  20. squash — the sport
  21. vault — a safe
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. spell — letters

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