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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. squash — to crush
  4. swing — music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. swing — to play on
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rest — a break
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. swing — in golf
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mug — a face
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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