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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: tear · pass · band · net · drill · spell · mouse · suit

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. suit — in cards
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spell — magic
  17. net — in sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spell — letters
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. band — a music group

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