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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. squash — to crush
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. can — a tin
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. land — to come down
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. land — a country
  21. dip — to sink
  22. can — to be able to
  23. land — ground
  24. can — a tin

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