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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mug — a face
  5. season — of the year
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. firm — decided
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rush — hurry
  12. season — in sport
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ball — a great time
  16. firm — a company
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. firm — steady
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mug — a cup

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