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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — a grade
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rock — music
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pass — a permit
  21. last — finally
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mark — to pay attention

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