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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pop — music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bound — certain
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. suit — in cards
  12. can — a tin
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. suit — to fit
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rest — a break
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. spell — letters
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — a safe
  24. suit — clothes

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