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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spell — magic
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bore — to drill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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