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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. object — a thing
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bear — the animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rush — hurry
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mate — to breed

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