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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — a match
  11. mate — a friend
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bore — to tire
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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