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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mate — a partner
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. charge — a price
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — wild animals
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lie — to recline
  20. game — a match
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. squash — to crush

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