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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · bowl · wound · spell · lie · shower · prune · toast

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spell — letters
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. toast — bread
  8. shower — rain
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spell — a short time
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wound — an injury
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. prune — to trim

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