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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rest — a break
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. squash — the sport
  10. suit — in cards
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pass — a permit
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lean — thin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. march — the month

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