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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. game — wild animals
  3. suit — clothes
  4. game — a match
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spell — magic
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wound — an injury
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mug — a face
  21. deal — to handle
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mug — a cup
  24. suit — in cards

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