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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. race — humankind
  3. pit — in a race
  4. race — a contest
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pop — music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spell — letters
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pop — to visit
  17. scale — in music
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pass — a permit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pop — soda
  22. race — the arms race
  23. tear — to rip
  24. spell — magic

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