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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rock — music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spell — a short time
  14. season — in sport
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. season — of the year
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spell — letters
  19. cue — a signal
  20. snap — to click
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. suit — in cards

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