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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spell — a short time
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cell — in biology
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. suit — in cards
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. spell — magic
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cell — a phone
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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