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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. suit — in cards
  6. swing — music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spell — letters
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. degree — from a university
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rush — hurry
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — an amount
  19. dip — to sink
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — clothes

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