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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — a friend
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mate — a partner
  11. snap — to click
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chest — a box
  19. key — in music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rash — a series
  23. mate — to breed
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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