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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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. date — on the calendar
  4. wound — an injury
  5. date — the fruit
  6. spell — a short time
  7. scale — size or range
  8. net — after costs
  9. spell — letters
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. spell — magic
  17. net — in sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — for catching
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. scale — in music

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