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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spell — magic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — to paddle
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — a line

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