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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 120 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: pitch · bound · spell · lie · shower · sharp · wake · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bound — certain
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bound — obliged
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spell — a short time
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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