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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. current — happening now
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — there
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rest — what's left
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. current — electric
  14. game — a match
  15. pass — a permit
  16. current — of water
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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