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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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Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rule — a law
  3. spell — magic
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stand — to bear
  7. season — in sport
  8. capital — a city
  9. spell — letters
  10. season — of the year
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rule — government
  20. capital — money
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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