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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. band — a ring
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. last — to go on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. band — a music group
  12. fine — high quality
  13. last — finally
  14. toast — bread
  15. last — final
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fine — all right
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. drill — a practice

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