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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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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: wind · spell · pass · lie · land · race · pound · cue

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — a contest
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spell — letters
  9. pass — a permit
  10. land — ground
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cue — a signal
  16. race — humankind
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — a country
  19. pound — a weight
  20. land — to come down
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cue — for pool

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