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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pop — soda
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pop — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stand — to bear
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — to visit
  21. snap — to click
  22. bore — to tire
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stand — for spectators

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