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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wake — a trail
  21. file — a document
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — to spend time

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