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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. spring — of water
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. drill — army training
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. roll — a cake
  10. chip — for betting
  11. roll — a list
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wax — to grow
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. drill — a practice
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pass — a permit
  21. spring — the season
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pitch — completely

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