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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fine — high quality
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mate — a friend
  6. band — a ring
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fine — all right
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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