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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. kick — in football
  9. roll — a list
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. craft — a skill
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — boats
  20. roll — a cake
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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