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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hand — help
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. present — a gift
  6. deal — to handle
  7. present — the time now
  8. hand — in cards
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. present — there
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hand — part of the body

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