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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. staff — employees
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bass — low music
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — electricity
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spring — the season
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — a price
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pass — a permit
  22. spring — of water
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. charge — in control

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