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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · cell · bear · season · bowl · row · squash · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — magic
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spell — a short time
  9. season — of the year
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. row — a line
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spell — letters
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. squash — to crush
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. bear — the animal

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