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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spell — magic
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ball — a dance
  6. land — to come down
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pound — a weight
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rash — a series
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — letters
  20. cell — a phone
  21. land — ground
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. land — a country
  24. rash — hasty

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