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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spring — a coil
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spell — a short time
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spell — magic
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. kick — in football
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. face — to confront
  24. stand — for spectators

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