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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wind — moving air
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — of water
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rest — a break
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spring — the season
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rest — what's left
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wind — moving air
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. lie — an untruth

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