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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pass — a permit
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rash — hasty
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rash — a series
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. snap — to click
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — a container
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pass — to spend time

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