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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. prune — to trim
  4. board — a committee
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mine — for digging
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. shower — to wash
  21. board — to get on
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. shower — rain

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