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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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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spell — magic
  6. mate — to breed
  7. charge — in control
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pit — in a race
  14. charge — electricity
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. charge — a price
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. racket — for tennis

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