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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rash — hasty
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. race — humankind
  5. cue — a hint
  6. march — music
  7. rash — a series
  8. net — after costs
  9. march — the month
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. net — for catching
  14. wound — an injury
  15. race — the arms race
  16. net — in sport
  17. cue — a signal
  18. race — a contest
  19. shower — rain
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. march — the month

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