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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rule — a law
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rule — government
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cap — of ice
  19. spell — letters
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bass — low music
  22. mug — a face
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — the instrument

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