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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. last — finally
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. spell — letters
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mug — a face
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mug — to rob
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mug — a cup

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