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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spell — magic
  3. season — in sport
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cell — a phone
  9. swing — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — of the year
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pop — music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. prune — to trim
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. spell — letters
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — soda

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