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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. season — in sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. prune — to trim
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. present — the time now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — of the year
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. band — a ring
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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