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

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pop — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass

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