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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. net — in sport
  8. content — the amount
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. content — happy
  16. net — after costs
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. net — for catching

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