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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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. bulb — of a plant
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. track — to keep track
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. track — a song
  12. spring — the season
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. track — a path
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spring — of water
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. spring — a coil
  23. face — to confront
  24. pass — to succeed

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