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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fall — the season
  3. spell — a short time
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. net — for catching
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — in sport
  11. capital — a city
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — after costs
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. capital — money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spell — letters
  24. stem — to come from

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