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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fall — the season
  3. object — an aim
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cap — a lid
  6. spell — letters
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. fall — to drop
  11. object — to protest
  12. cap — of ice
  13. band — a ring
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cap — a hat
  16. toast — bread
  17. present — the time now
  18. band — a music group
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. present — a gift
  23. object — a thing
  24. present — there

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