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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spell — magic
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — in control
  5. deal — to handle
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spell — letters
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — a short time
  10. squash — the sport
  11. last — to go on
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. last — final
  15. bank — for money
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cap — of ice
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bank — of a river
  23. charge — a price
  24. last — finally

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