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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — the animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. snap — to click
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bound — certain
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. game — a match
  22. race — humankind
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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