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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. spell — magic
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spring — of water
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. scale — in music
  22. spell — letters
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — a short time

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