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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. bear — the animal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. row — a line
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rash — a series
  14. pass — a permit
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ground — a position
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bear — to put up with

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