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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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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spell — a short time
  4. charge — a price
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — magic
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — in sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. face — to point toward
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. face — to confront
  13. season — of the year
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. charge — electricity
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pass — a permit
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wind — moving air
  23. charge — in control
  24. spell — letters

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