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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spell — magic
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pass — a permit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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