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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. degree — an amount
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bound — certain
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mate — a partner
  8. spell — letters
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — to breed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — for digging
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bound — tied together
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — a friend
  18. charge — in control
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. charge — a price
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wave — with your hand

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