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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. present — there
  3. rush — hurry
  4. present — the time now
  5. rest — a break
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. present — a gift
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rest — what's left

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