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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 120 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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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. scale — in music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — a short time
  9. scale — size or range
  10. land — ground
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fall — the season
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. land — a country
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — to come down
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spell — letters

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