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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mug — a cup
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a hole
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. file — a document
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a line of people
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. file — a tool
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — a face
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mine — an explosive

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