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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fall — the season
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spell — magic
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — a trace
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. sharp — exactly

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