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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spell — letters
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. drill — army training
  9. shower — rain
  10. present — the time now
  11. shower — to wash
  12. key — in music
  13. present — there
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. drill — a practice
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. present — a gift

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