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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spell — magic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spell — letters
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. march — music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. march — the month
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bulb — for light
  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