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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cue — a hint
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — a signal
  17. row — a line
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ball — a great time
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. toast — bread
  23. mark — a grade
  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