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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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Word bank
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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: spell · bulb · cell · pop · wound · present · game · suit

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pop — to visit
  4. present — the time now
  5. spell — magic
  6. game — a match
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — soda
  16. spell — a short time
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. suit — to fit
  23. spell — letters
  24. present — a gift

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