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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to sink
  4. spell — letters
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. lie — to recline
  7. degree — an amount
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. degree — temperature
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mark — a trace
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. degree — from a university
  23. roll — a list
  24. lie — an untruth

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