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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 124 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. face — to confront
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cold — an illness
  10. face — to point toward
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. kid — child
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cold — not warm
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pass — a permit

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