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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. field — a subject
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spell — magic
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. field — farmland
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. spell — letters
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. shower — rain
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — for sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. leaves — lets stay

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