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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. spell — a short time
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — a container
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mate — a partner
  15. spell — letters
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pit — in a race
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. vault — a safe
  23. spell — magic
  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