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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. present — a gift
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cold — not warm
  14. clip — a video
  15. track — a song
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. present — the time now
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cold — an illness
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. present — there
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fan — a supporter

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