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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. snap — to click
  8. chip — to eat
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. spell — letters
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. dip — to sink
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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