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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spell — magic
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pit — a hole
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. snap — to click
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — letters
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. spell — a short time
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. leaves — of a tree

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