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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · pass · pop · mate · mouse · trunk · pitch · spell

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spell — letters
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pop — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pop — to visit
  23. spell — magic
  24. hide — to keep secret

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