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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rest — a break
  3. firm — steady
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. firm — decided
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. branch — a division
  15. firm — a company
  16. spell — a short time
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spell — letters
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — to keep secret

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