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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. last — final
  3. suit — to fit
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — to go on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cold — an illness
  10. present — a gift
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tube — the underground
  16. present — the time now
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — finally
  20. ball — a dance
  21. suit — in cards
  22. present — there
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cold — not warm

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