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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: spell · racket · wake · fine · tear · cell · pass · game

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spell — magic
  7. cell — in biology
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. game — a match
  12. spell — letters
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fine — all right
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fine — high quality

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