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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: row · spell · key · leaves · fan · suit · bat · pass

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. row — to paddle
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spell — letters
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spell — magic
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. row — a line
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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