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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — the tool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. shower — to wash
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mouse — for a computer

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