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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chest — of your body
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rule — a law
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rule — government
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chest — a box
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. nail — for a hammer

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