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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. race — a contest
  9. content — the amount
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rock — music
  16. content — happy
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. race — humankind
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spell — letters
  24. hide — to keep secret

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