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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. spring — the season
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. drill — army training
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. face — to confront
  17. drill — a practice
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. kick — in football
  21. snap — to click
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bulb — for light
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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