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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rest — a break
  15. pass — a permit
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rest — what's left
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pitcher — a jug

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