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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — a permit
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rest — a break
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rock — music

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