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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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468
Word bank
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — a stone
  9. spring — a coil
  10. present — a gift
  11. spring — the season
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. present — there
  23. spring — of water
  24. rock — music

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