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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. club — for golf
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. last — finally
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. last — to go on
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. club — for dancing
  15. face — to confront
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. club — a group
  22. face — part of the head
  23. last — final
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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