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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bound — certain
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. last — finally
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pass — a permit
  15. last — final
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. bore — to tire
  19. last — to go on
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. present — the time now
  24. pass — to succeed

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