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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. spell — magic
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — finally
  6. spell — letters
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — a hint
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rest — a break
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. spring — of water
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. last — to go on

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