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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spell — magic
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. present — there
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. degree — temperature
  13. court — of a king
  14. present — a gift
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spell — letters
  17. court — of law
  18. present — the time now
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — for sport
  22. tube — a container
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spell — a short 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