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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.

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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spell — a short time
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — letters
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. saw — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — a grade
  18. spell — magic

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