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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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 — a short time
  2. stand — to bear
  3. band — a music group
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spell — magic
  6. suit — to fit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. face — to confront
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a ring
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. face — to point toward
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ground — the earth
  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