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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rest — what's left
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lie — to recline
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rule — a law
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hand — help
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. toast — bread
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rule — government
  24. toast — the most admired

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