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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spell — magic
  6. current — happening now
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pass — a permit
  9. season — of the year
  10. current — of water
  11. mine — for digging
  12. season — in sport
  13. current — electric
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spell — letters
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. snap — to click
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. leaves — to go away

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