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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — letters
  4. key — for a lock
  5. spell — magic
  6. cell — in biology
  7. can — to be able to
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. board — a committee
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. roll — a list
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. board — to get on
  19. cell — a phone
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spell — a short time
  22. roll — a cake
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — a tin

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