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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. spell — magic
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rash — a series
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spell — letters
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rash — hasty

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