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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. last — finally
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. present — the time now
  6. last — final
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. hand — in cards
  10. present — a gift
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. present — there
  13. last — to go on
  14. hand — help
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement

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