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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cold — an illness
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — a permit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cold — not warm
  10. club — a group
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. club — for golf
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bass — low music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — to go away

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