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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lean — thin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. track — a path
  13. lean — to bend
  14. track — a song
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  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