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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bound — certain
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — to go on
  9. stock — shares
  10. lie — to recline
  11. last — final
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — goods
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mate — to breed
  18. degree — temperature
  19. last — finally
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. degree — from a university

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