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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.

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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pop — to visit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. can — to be able to
  8. race — the arms race
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. race — a contest
  13. pop — soda
  14. spell — a short time
  15. season — of the year
  16. pop — music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. spell — magic
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. dip — to sink
  24. race — humankind

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