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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — a break
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fine — all right
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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