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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pass — a permit
  13. march — music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — the month
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. drill — army training
  22. mate — to breed
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. drill — a practice

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