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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. key — in music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — not warm
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bound — obliged
  10. content — happy
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cold — an illness

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