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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pass — a permit
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. game — a match
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bat — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. game — wild animals
  18. content — the amount
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. content — happy
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lash — an eyelash

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