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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.

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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — to bear
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. spell — letters
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. kick — in football
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lean — thin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. dip — to sink
  15. capital — money
  16. perch — the fish
  17. spell — a short time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. dip — a sauce

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