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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. toast — bread
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. season — in sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cap — a hat
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pass — a permit
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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