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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. last — final
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spell — magic
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pass — a permit

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