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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. row — to paddle
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. face — to confront
  9. toast — bread
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. row — a line
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spell — letters
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mine — for digging
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. spell — a short time

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