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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. present — a gift
  3. roll — a cake
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. suit — in cards
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. suit — clothes
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mate — a friend
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. roll — a list

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