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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — magic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a word
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fall — the season
  17. root — of a plant
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. root — the cause
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fall — to drop

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