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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bound — certain
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — to crush
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — thin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bound — tied together

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