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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — a permit
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fall — the season
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mate — a friend
  15. current — of water
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — to be able to
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — a partner
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. can — a tin
  23. current — happening now
  24. fall — to drop

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