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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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. plane — a tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. spell — letters
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — a country
  11. spell — magic
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. land — ground
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — to come down
  24. rash — on the skin

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