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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fine — high quality
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spell — letters
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — all right
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. dip — a sauce

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