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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mug — a face
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mug — to rob
  5. march — the month
  6. kick — in football
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bulb — for light
  9. march — the month
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. craft — boats
  14. rest — a break
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. march — music
  17. date — the fruit
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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