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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rest — a break
  8. race — humankind
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rash — hasty
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rest — what's left
  20. race — a contest
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rash — a series
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rock — a stone

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