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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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. leaves — of a tree
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spell — a short time
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. spell — letters
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. row — a line
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. net — in sport
  24. bowl — a football final

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