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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — final
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. pop — soda
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pop — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rest — a break
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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