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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pit — a hole
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chest — a box
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pass — a permit
  20. row — a line
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pit — in a race

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