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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cap — a hat
  6. spell — magic
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spell — letters
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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