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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. spell — magic
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pass — a permit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. suit — to fit
  18. march — the month
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spell — letters
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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