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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. content — the amount
  3. mate — to breed
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mate — a partner
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pass — a permit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. snap — to click
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. content — happy
  20. tube — a container
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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