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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rest — a break
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. capital — money
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rest — what's left
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. date — the fruit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. capital — a city
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. date — on the calendar

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