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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mate — to breed
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kid — child
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kid — to tease

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