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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bound — obliged
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spell — letters
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. spell — magic
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rest — a break
  12. staff — employees
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. spell — a short time
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — certain
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tube — a container
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rest — what's left

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