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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 116 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. fall — the season
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. key — the most important part
  9. spell — magic
  10. key — in music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. spell — letters
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pass — a permit
  23. spell — a short time
  24. straw — dry grass

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