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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spell — letters
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — help
  14. club — a group
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hand — in cards
  21. chair — a leader
  22. club — for golf
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — for dancing

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