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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. foot — a measure
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rock — music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rock — a stone

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