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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chest — a box
  3. present — there
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. present — a gift
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — goods
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — the time now
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. season — of the year
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stock — shares
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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