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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rest — a break
  5. ground — the earth
  6. firm — decided
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. firm — steady
  13. march — the month
  14. spring — the season
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spring — of water
  20. firm — a company
  21. ground — a position
  22. march — music
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. march — the month

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