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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. object — to protest
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. face — to confront
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. tube — a container
  10. shower — to wash
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pass — a permit
  13. swing — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — the underground
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. hand — help
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. face — to point toward
  21. shower — rain
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. swing — in golf
  24. object — a thing

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