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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pop — soda
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bat — the animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. cap — of ice
  13. chip — to eat
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pop — music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pop — to visit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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