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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spring — the season
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — in sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rule — government
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — after costs
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rule — a law
  21. scale — in music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. leaves — of a tree

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