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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. object — an aim
  4. shower — rain
  5. mate — a partner
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. shower — to wash
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. season — in sport
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hand — in cards
  16. season — of the year
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mate — to breed
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cell — a phone
  22. hand — help
  23. mate — a friend
  24. nail — for a hammer

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