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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cue — a hint
  3. shower — to wash
  4. squash — to crush
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. field — a subject
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pass — a permit
  15. row — a line
  16. field — for sport
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — a stone
  21. field — farmland
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cue — a signal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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