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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spring — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. game — a match
  13. cue — a signal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. spring — the season
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cell — in biology
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. arm — part of the body

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