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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rest — a break
  8. craft — boats
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tube — a container
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pass — a permit

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