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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. current — electric
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. current — happening now
  12. fall — the season
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fall — to drop
  17. race — a contest
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. current — of water
  22. race — humankind
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mate — a partner

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