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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: wake · lean · spell · drill · season · foot · key · pass

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lean — to bend
  3. drill — army training
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. drill — the tool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spell — letters
  12. key — the most important part
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. foot — a measure
  18. key — in music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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