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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. spring — of water
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spring — the season
  12. root — of a word
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. mine — for digging
  16. root — the cause
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. root — of a plant
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. firm — steady
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pass — a permit
  24. lie — an untruth

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