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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bear — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mate — to breed
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. field — a subject
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. face — to confront
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. face — part of the head
  20. kick — in football
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cue — a signal

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