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

Word bank: last · pit · wound · pass · bowl · tear · mouse · deal

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. last — final
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pit — in a race
  5. last — finally
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pit — a hole
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pass — a permit
  22. last — to go on
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mouse — the animal

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