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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chest — a box
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pass — a permit
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. hand — help
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. scale — in music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chest — of your body
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wave — of the sea

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