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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bound — certain
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. last — finally
  7. pass — a permit
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bulb — for light
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rest — a break
  24. pass — to succeed

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