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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — a video
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. net — after costs
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rest — a break
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. net — for catching
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rest — what's left

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