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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · bowl · fork · spell · cabinet · face · staff · mine

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. staff — employees
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spell — letters
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mug — a face
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a cup
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fork — a garden tool

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