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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.

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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wound — an injury
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — the season
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rash — a series
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pass — a permit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spring — of water
  18. racket — a loud noise

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