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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. firm — steady
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — a stone
  8. scale — size or range
  9. season — of the year
  10. bat — the animal
  11. scale — in music
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. firm — a company
  17. spell — a short time
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. firm — decided
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. spell — letters
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. season — in sport
  24. scale — for weighing

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