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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. land — a country
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. spell — letters
  12. land — ground
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. land — to come down
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. squash — the vegetable

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