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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. object — an aim
  8. bass — the fish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — a thing
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bass — low music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. object — to protest

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