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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spell — magic
  3. cue — for pool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. roll — a list
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — letters
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. roll — a cake
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pass — to succeed

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