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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. spell — magic
  6. pit — a hole
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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