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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pit — in a race
  3. shower — to wash
  4. spell — letters
  5. pit — a hole
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spell — magic
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. shower — rain
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. plane — a tool

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