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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. deal — to handle
  3. face — to point toward
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pass — a permit
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. face — to confront
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wake — a trail
  12. spell — letters
  13. wind — moving air
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. roll — a list
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. roll — a cake
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. spell — magic
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pass — to spend time

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