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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pass — a permit
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — the animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spell — magic
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mug — a face
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bowl — a dish

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