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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. toast — bread
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bound — certain
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mate — a partner
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — a friend
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wound — an injury

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