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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. root — of a word
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mate — to breed
  8. root — of a plant
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — a partner
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. root — the cause
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — certain
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bat — the animal

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