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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — in sport
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — after costs
  12. spell — letters
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. band — a ring
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mug — a cup
  22. net — for catching
  23. band — a music group
  24. mug — a face

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