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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spell — magic
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. current — of water
  9. vault — a safe
  10. spell — letters
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. current — happening now
  19. ground — a position
  20. pass — a permit
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ground — crushed
  23. shower — rain
  24. current — electric

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