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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bore — to tire
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spell — letters
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fall — the season
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. spell — a short time
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. deal — to handle

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