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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — clever
  3. season — of the year
  4. squash — to crush
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pass — a permit
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rest — a break
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. season — in sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — in control
  24. pass — to spend time

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