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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. season — in sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. land — ground
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wound — an injury
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. spell — letters
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. season — of the year
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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