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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pop — soda
  5. cue — for pool
  6. spell — letters
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pop — to visit
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pop — music
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. file — a document
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cap — of ice
  23. file — a tool
  24. bat — in an idiom

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