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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. drill — a practice
  6. hand — help
  7. object — an aim
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. drill — army training
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. hand — in cards
  12. land — to come down
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. object — to protest
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. land — a country
  21. object — a thing
  22. kid — child
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. land — ground

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