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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pop — soda
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. roll — a list
  12. wax — to grow
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. band — a ring
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. last — finally
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pop — music
  24. band — a music group

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