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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. lean — thin
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rule — a law
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. spring — the season
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pass — a permit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. swing — in golf
  17. craft — boats
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. swing — music
  21. pop — music
  22. degree — temperature
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pop — soda

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