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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mate — a partner
  3. content — happy
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. drill — army training
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mate — a friend
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chip — for betting
  13. content — the amount
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wave — with your hand

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