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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. row — a line
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rest — a break
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. snap — to click
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — hurry
  24. can — to be able to

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