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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spell — magic
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. drill — a practice
  15. band — a music group
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. spell — letters
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lie — to recline
  24. drill — army training

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