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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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 — a short time
  2. shower — rain
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. season — of the year
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bank — for money
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mark — a grade
  17. spell — letters
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bank — for money
  20. wind — moving air
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spell — magic
  23. shower — to wash
  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