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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. march — the month
  5. spell — letters
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bass — low music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kid — child
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. march — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spell — magic
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — a permit
  20. kid — to tease
  21. tear — to rip
  22. suit — in cards
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — the fish

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