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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. saw — the tool
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spell — letters
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. pass — a permit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. board — a committee
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. spell — a short time
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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