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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. land — to come down
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. land — a country
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. land — ground
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spell — magic
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. spell — letters
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spell — a short time
  21. toast — bread
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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