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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — to breed
  3. last — final
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rock — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cap — of ice
  10. squash — to crush
  11. last — to go on
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. last — finally

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