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

Word bank: pass · jam · rest · cold · mate · kick · fine · toast

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rest — a break
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fine — high quality
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. fine — all right
  20. rest — what's left
  21. toast — bread
  22. mate — to breed
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fine — a penalty

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