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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · spell · land · arm · wax · staff · roll · mug

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. staff — employees
  3. land — a country
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spell — magic
  7. mug — a face
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wax — to grow
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. staff — a stick
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. roll — on a roll
  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