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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pop — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. pop — soda
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. staff — a stick
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mark — a trace
  24. calf — of the leg

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