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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rock — music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. prune — to trim
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rock — a stone

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