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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. object — to protest
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. object — an aim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. rock — music
  16. present — there
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. present — the time now
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. present — a gift
  24. saw — the tool

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