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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. present — a gift
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cue — a hint
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spell — a short time
  18. present — there
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cue — for pool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. toast — bread
  23. spell — magic
  24. present — the time now

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