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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. net — after costs
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. net — for catching
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wind — moving air
  13. net — in sport
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mug — a face
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wake — a trail

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