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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rush — hurry
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ground — a position
  10. tube — a container
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. race — a contest
  18. ground — crushed
  19. degree — an amount
  20. race — humankind
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. degree — temperature

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