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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mark — a grade
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tube — a container
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cue — a signal
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cue — for pool
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spell — letters
  19. cell — in biology
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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