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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. can — to be able to
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rest — a break
  19. field — for sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. can — a tin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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