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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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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. last — finally
  5. rest — what's left
  6. last — to go on
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — the time now
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. present — a gift
  13. last — final
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rest — a break
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bank — of a river
  21. present — there
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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