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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. degree — from a university
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spell — magic
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — in sport
  7. spell — letters
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pop — soda
  10. degree — an amount
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. season — of the year
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. degree — temperature
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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