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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fall — the season
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. branch — a division
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. season — in sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. suit — to fit
  18. season — of the year
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rash — a series
  24. spell — letters

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