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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. stand — to bear
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lean — thin
  6. current — happening now
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — of water
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fine — all right
  16. current — electric
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. lean — to bend
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bat — the animal

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