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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mate — a partner
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spring — a coil
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — a container
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rock — music
  24. chest — a box

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