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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. season — in sport
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. season — of the year
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitch — completely
  20. tube — a container
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pitch — a sports field

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