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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pass — a permit
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. suit — in cards
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. last — to go on
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. land — a country
  20. last — final
  21. shower — rain
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. last — finally

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