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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — help
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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