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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. march — the month
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. game — a match
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. current — happening now
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. march — music
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. straw — dry grass

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