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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. date — the fruit
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. mug — a cup
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mug — a face
  13. tube — a container
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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