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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — ground
  5. march — the month
  6. season — of the year
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. land — a country
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. march — music
  21. land — to come down
  22. march — the month
  23. season — in sport
  24. pass — to spend time

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