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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. spell — magic
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spell — a short time
  6. game — a match
  7. mark — a grade
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mark — a trace
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spell — letters
  24. wound — an injury

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