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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mate — a friend
  6. shower — rain
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. court — of law
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mate — a partner
  16. court — of a king
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. season — of the year
  24. court — for sport

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