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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. season — of the year
  7. board — a committee
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hand — help
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chip — to eat
  19. board — to get on
  20. season — in sport
  21. spell — a short time
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wake — a trail
  24. chip — for betting

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