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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. last — finally
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mark — a trace
  8. spell — a short time
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spell — letters
  13. last — to go on
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. snap — to click
  17. spell — magic
  18. cap — a hat
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cap — a lid
  23. last — final
  24. cap — of ice

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