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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. season — of the year
  3. object — an aim
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rush — hurry
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — the season
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — to be able to
  18. object — a thing
  19. spell — letters
  20. object — to protest
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. season — in sport

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