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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. mug — a cup
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spring — of water
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spell — letters
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. net — after costs
  18. spring — the season
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — in music
  23. mug — a face
  24. key — for a lock

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