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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. season — of the year
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — an injury
  7. vault — a safe
  8. season — in sport
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. present — a gift
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wound — an injury
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — a friend
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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