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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rest — a break
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — letters
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fall — to drop
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. key — in music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. chip — to eat
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fall — the season
  16. chip — for betting
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — a short time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — to wash
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. shower — rain

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