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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. spring — of water
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. present — the time now
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fall — the season
  11. present — a gift
  12. bank — for money
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. present — there
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wake — a trail
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wake — before a funeral

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