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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spell — magic
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. net — for catching
  9. firm — steady
  10. spell — letters
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. net — after costs
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. firm — decided
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — in sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. kick — in football
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cabinet — ministers

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