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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. spell — letters
  9. clip — a video
  10. spell — magic
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. tube — a container
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. court — for sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rock — music
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — a grade
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rock — a stone
  24. court — of law

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