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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. season — of the year
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rock — music
  5. season — in sport
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. present — a gift
  9. pass — a permit
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. present — there
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. sharp — clever
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a ring
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hand — help
  24. band — a music group

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