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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · deal · cell · wind · leaves · racket · spell · ruler

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. deal — to handle
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wind — moving air
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spell — magic
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. spell — letters
  24. cell — in biology

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