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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 120 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: row · rest · court · fan · mug · spell · mate · perch

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a line
  8. mug — to rob
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rest — a break
  13. row — to paddle
  14. court — of law
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mate — a partner
  17. court — for sport
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — a face
  21. court — of a king
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mate — a friend

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