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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spell — letters
  12. rock — a stone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — a permit
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. spell — magic
  17. bound — obliged
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bound — tied together
  21. chair — a leader
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bound — certain
  24. prune — to trim

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