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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pit — in a race
  6. face — to confront
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rule — a law
  12. pit — a hole
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mate — a partner
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rule — government

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