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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. march — the month
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. net — after costs
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — for digging
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. net — for catching
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. net — in sport
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. march — music

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