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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spell — letters
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. dip — to sink
  14. face — to confront
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. perch — the fish
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rock — a stone
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. face — to point toward
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wind — moving air

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