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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spell — letters
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tear — from crying
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. craft — a skill

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