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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.

Make a worksheet

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 hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. staff — employees
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. staff — employees
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. spell — letters
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mug — a face
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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