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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. file — a document
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mine — for digging
  9. squash — to crush
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rock — a stone
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. tube — a container
  15. perch — the fish
  16. file — a tool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bulb — for light
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rock — music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pass — a permit
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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