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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. suit — in cards
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wave — of the sea

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