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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ground — the earth
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cap — a lid
  13. spell — letters
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. spell — magic
  16. ground — a position
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cap — a hat
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chair — a leader
  24. snap — to click

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