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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 124 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. last — finally
  6. ball — a great time
  7. spell — letters
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rock — music
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cell — in biology
  15. last — final
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spell — magic
  22. last — to go on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — to pay attention

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