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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stock — shares
  6. shower — rain
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. roll — a list
  13. stock — goods
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. roll — a cake
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spell — magic
  19. snap — to click
  20. shower — to wash
  21. spell — a short time
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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