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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. tube — a container
  3. spell — letters
  4. rest — what's left
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bank — of a river
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tube — the underground
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rest — a break
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. degree — from a university
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. season — of the year
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. trunk — of a car

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