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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pop — music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. last — finally
  12. wound — an injury
  13. last — final
  14. pop — soda
  15. stand — to bear
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wound — an injury
  23. last — to go on
  24. shower — rain

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