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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.

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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rest — a break
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. present — the time now
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hand — help
  9. present — a gift
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — there
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — for catching
  15. chest — a box
  16. net — after costs
  17. hand — in cards
  18. chest — of your body
  19. net — in sport
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tube — a container
  22. spell — a short time
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spell — letters

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