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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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Word bank
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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. present — the time now
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pass — a permit
  9. present — there
  10. rest — what's left
  11. present — a gift
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pop — music
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mug — a face
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pop — soda
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pop — to visit

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