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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lean — to bend
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cap — of ice
  5. key — for a lock
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitch — completely
  13. last — final
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cap — a lid
  16. last — finally
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. spell — letters
  23. key — in music
  24. lean — thin

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