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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. scale — in music
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. scale — size or range
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rash — a series
  18. mate — to breed
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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