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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. firm — decided
  6. kid — to tease
  7. snap — to click
  8. firm — steady
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — a company
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — to wash
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. shower — rain

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