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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. drill — army training
  4. spell — magic
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. spell — a short time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — the amount
  16. spell — letters
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — soda
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. drill — a practice

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