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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pit — a hole
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lean — thin
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lean — to bend
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pit — in a race
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rash — a series
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. pass — to spend 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