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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. spell — a short time
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mug — a face
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mug — a cup
  11. spell — magic
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. board — a committee
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spell — letters
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. snap — to click
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. board — to get on
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stem — a stem cell

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