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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wake — a trail
  10. shower — rain
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — magic
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. scale — in music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bank — for money
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. shower — to wash

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