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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 124 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bass — low music
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cell — in biology
  6. perch — the fish
  7. staff — a stick
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. last — finally
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. staff — employees
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cell — a phone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. last — final
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. staff — employees
  24. last — to go on

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