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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. spell — magic
  3. hand — help
  4. spell — letters
  5. charge — a price
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. season — of the year
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bat — the animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. rule — a law
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. firm — a company
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hand — in cards
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rule — government
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bulb — of a plant

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