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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. game — a match
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. game — wild animals
  9. tube — a container
  10. rush — hurry
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pass — a permit
  19. foot — a measure
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. shower — rain
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. tube — the underground

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