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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. current — electric
  3. board — a committee
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rash — a series
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bat — the animal
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. board — to get on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tear — from crying
  20. current — happening now
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. current — of water
  24. bat — in an idiom

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