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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · foot · fan · mate · straw · leaves · pass · mug

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — a cup
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. game — a match
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — a face
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mate — a partner
  24. leaves — lets stay

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