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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. land — ground
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. land — a country
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pass — a permit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bound — certain
  17. lean — thin
  18. land — to come down
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lean — to bend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. cap — a hat

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