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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ground — a position
  3. spell — magic
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spell — letters
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rush — to hurry

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