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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. net — after costs
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. spell — a short time
  8. snap — to click
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. drill — army training
  14. charge — electricity
  15. march — music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. charge — a price
  19. squash — the sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. charge — in control
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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