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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. tear — from crying
  4. charge — in control
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bore — to tire
  12. spell — letters
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tear — to rip
  16. kid — child
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stock — goods
  19. charge — a price
  20. stock — shares
  21. bore — to drill
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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