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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rush — hurry
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spell — a short time
  22. shower — rain
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rock — music

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