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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. last — final
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. last — finally
  6. kick — in football
  7. pass — a permit
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. season — of the year
  13. cap — of ice
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cap — a hat
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — in sport
  20. last — to go on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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