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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chip — for betting
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — to spend time

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