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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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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mate — a partner
  5. file — a line of people
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pop — to visit
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cap — of ice
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pop — soda
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pop — music

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