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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ground — the earth
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. game — a match
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. face — to confront
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rock — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rock — a stone
  21. face — part of the head
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ground — crushed

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