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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. suit — clothes
  3. roll — a list
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spell — letters
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wax — to grow
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. craft — boats
  14. roll — a cake
  15. file — a document
  16. suit — to fit
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rule — a law
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. file — a tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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