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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cold — not warm
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kid — child
  11. cold — an illness
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mouse — the animal

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