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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — the season
  6. season — of the year
  7. mate — to breed
  8. tube — a container
  9. pop — music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. spring — a coil
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pop — to visit
  14. season — in sport
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rest — a break
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mate — a friend
  20. spring — of water
  21. rest — what's left
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. kid — child
  24. pass — to succeed

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