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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spell — letters
  3. stem — to come from
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cap — of ice
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bound — certain
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to click
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — magic
  18. pass — a permit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spell — a short time

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