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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bound — tied together
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bound — certain
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rest — a break
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bat — for baseball

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