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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chest — of your body
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chest — a box
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — the season
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — a match
  24. mug — a face

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