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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pop — music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pop — to visit
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. pop — soda
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. land — a country
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — the animal

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