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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. spring — a coil
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. charge — in control
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — a price
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rest — a break
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cold — not warm
  21. spring — the season
  22. lean — thin
  23. spring — of water
  24. bear — to put up with

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