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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. last — to go on
  3. rock — a stone
  4. row — to paddle
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. scale — in music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. scale — size or range
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cold — not warm
  12. face — to confront
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. snap — to click
  15. cold — an illness
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pass — a permit
  18. last — finally
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. row — a line
  21. rock — music
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. last — final

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