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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. content — happy
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spell — letters
  8. present — the time now
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — of water
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. present — there
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. spell — a short time
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. present — a gift
  20. snap — to click
  21. content — the amount
  22. current — happening now
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. current — electric

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