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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 116 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
468
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: pass · dip · cell · board · bat · spell · saw · firm

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spell — magic
  3. bat — the animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. cell — a phone
  6. firm — steady
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. firm — a company
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cell — in biology
  14. spell — a short time
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. spell — letters
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. board — to get on
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. board — a committee
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — to sink

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