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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. clip — a video
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spell — magic
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. spell — letters
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. clip — to cut

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