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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. 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. straw — a straw man
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — a series
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ball — a dance
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. degree — from a university
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. 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