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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pass — a permit
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spell — letters
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. spell — a short time
  11. court — of a king
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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