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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. suit — to fit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. suit — in cards
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. sharp — clever
  15. suit — clothes
  16. game — a match
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mine — for digging

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