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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. file — a tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — a short time
  8. track — a path
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. file — a document
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — a song
  20. file — a line of people
  21. spell — letters
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. track — to keep track

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