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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. race — a contest
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bound — certain
  6. face — to confront
  7. pass — a permit
  8. craft — boats
  9. race — humankind
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bound — tied together
  12. face — to point toward
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. race — the arms race
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. snap — to click
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spell — letters
  24. craft — a skill

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