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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rock — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rock — a stone
  15. face — to confront
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hand — help
  18. mine — for digging
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. face — to point toward

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