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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. content — the amount
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. track — a path
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mate — to breed
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. track — to keep track
  12. craft — boats
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. craft — a skill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mate — a partner
  18. track — a song
  19. spell — magic
  20. pass — a permit
  21. content — happy
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. spell — letters

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