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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. board — to get on
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tear — to rip
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. board — a committee
  13. wind — moving air
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fine — all right
  21. mate — to breed
  22. tear — from crying
  23. board — a flat piece
  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