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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. spell — magic
  6. season — in sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cue — a hint
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spell — letters
  13. season — of the year
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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