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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. spell — letters
  11. rush — hurry
  12. dip — to sink
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spell — magic
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. branch — a division
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. ball — a dance
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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