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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 116 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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468
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. dip — to sink
  3. drill — army training
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bass — low music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mate — a friend
  14. drill — the tool
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bass — the fish
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mate — to breed
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. snap — to click

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