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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. spell — letters
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. spell — magic
  9. file — a tool
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. foot — a measure
  15. file — a document
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mark — a trace
  21. file — a line of people
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lie — an untruth

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