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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spell — a short time
  6. sharp — clever
  7. land — a country
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rash — a series
  10. chest — a box
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spell — letters
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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