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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. perch — the fish
  3. sharp — clever
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. spell — letters
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — a signal
  17. straw — a straw man
  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