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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. current — electric
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. current — of water
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. current — happening now
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chip — to eat
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cap — a hat
  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