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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. spell — magic
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. row — to paddle
  5. drill — a practice
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. snap — to click
  18. drill — army training
  19. row — a line
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spell — letters
  24. ruler — for measuring

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