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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fall — the season
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pass — a permit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. game — a match
  7. spring — of water
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. dip — to sink
  12. content — the amount
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. game — wild animals
  20. content — happy
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kid — child
  23. spring — the season
  24. content — videos and posts

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