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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — a face
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ground — a position
  10. rule — a law
  11. ground — crushed
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mug — a cup
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rule — government
  24. bulb — of a plant

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