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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. shower — rain
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wound — an injury
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bear — the animal

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