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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. net — after costs
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. last — finally
  9. kid — to tease
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. last — final
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. net — in sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. kid — child
  20. can — a tin
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. last — to go on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — a safe

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