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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spell — a short time
  5. band — a ring
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spring — the season
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. board — to get on
  11. spell — letters
  12. season — of the year
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. season — in sport
  19. band — a music group
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. snap — to click
  22. spring — of water
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. board — a committee

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