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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. spell — letters
  2. club — for dancing
  3. spell — a short time
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — for golf
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. row — a line
  12. pass — a permit
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. club — a group
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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