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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. suit — to fit
  6. land — a country
  7. race — a contest
  8. perch — the fish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mine — for digging
  14. suit — in cards
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kid — child
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. race — humankind

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