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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. kick — in football
  3. spring — a coil
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. spring — of water
  6. track — to keep track
  7. season — of the year
  8. firm — steady
  9. chip — to eat
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. firm — decided
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — a song
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. firm — a company
  19. spring — the season
  20. track — a path
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. season — in sport

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