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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. season — of the year
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — high quality
  16. season — in sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bass — low music
  21. fine — all right
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. hand — help
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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