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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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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: pass · cold · lie · mate · present · bulb · capital · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pass — a permit
  9. present — there
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. capital — money
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a city
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a friend

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