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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — to protest
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. object — a thing
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rest — a break
  12. cell — a phone
  13. object — an aim
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spell — magic
  20. mug — a face
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mug — a cup
  24. spell — letters

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