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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.

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: spring · mate · rock · clip · spell · safe · scale · pass

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. clip — to cut
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rock — music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. clip — a video
  10. scale — in music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rock — a stone
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pass — a permit
  19. spell — magic
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spring — the season

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