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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. snap — to click
  8. club — for golf
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cold — an illness
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rock — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. club — a group
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cold — not warm
  24. prune — the fruit

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