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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bound — obliged
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chair — a leader
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bound — certain
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bound — tied together
  24. tube — a container

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