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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. spell — magic
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spell — a short time
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fall — to drop
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. current — electric
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. current — happening now
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fall — the season
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — a permit
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. current — of water
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — letters

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