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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. spell — magic
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. wound — an injury
  9. suit — to fit
  10. key — the most important part
  11. suit — clothes
  12. object — to protest
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. object — a thing
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — an aim
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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