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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mate — a partner
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fine — all right
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — high quality
  14. present — a gift
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. present — there
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cell — a phone

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