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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bat — the animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rock — a stone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. shower — rain
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spell — letters
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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