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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 124 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fork — in a road
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spell — magic
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — a face
  15. season — in sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ball — a dance
  21. season — of the year
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fork — a garden tool

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