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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.

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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fall — the season
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bore — to drill
  12. net — after costs
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. net — for catching
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. net — in sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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