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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bound — certain
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bound — obliged
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ball — a round shape

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