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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. track — a song
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. land — to come down
  7. pass — a permit
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. row — a line
  11. track — to keep track
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. land — ground
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. track — a path
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. land — a country
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. leaves — lets stay

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