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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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wind — moving air
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — letters
  6. season — of the year
  7. lie — to recline
  8. season — in sport
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. suit — clothes
  24. spell — a short time

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