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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spell — letters
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. spell — magic
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. ball — a dance
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — a short time
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. nail — on a finger

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