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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.

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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cold — not warm
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — a friend
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pass — a permit

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