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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pass — a permit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. lean — thin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. swing — music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. spring — a coil

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