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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. staff — employees
  5. bound — certain
  6. spell — a short time
  7. field — farmland
  8. branch — a division
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. season — in sport
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. rest — a break
  19. season — of the year
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spell — letters

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