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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — hasty
  4. scale — size or range
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rash — a series
  10. present — the time now
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. present — a gift
  23. scale — in music
  24. present — there

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