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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. kid — to tease
  3. band — a ring
  4. kid — child
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pop — soda
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lean — thin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — letters
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pop — music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. band — a music group

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