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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. spell — magic
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pop — soda
  5. staff — employees
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spell — letters
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bore — to tire
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pop — music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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