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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pass — a permit
  3. hand — help
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. drill — a practice
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cue — for pool
  20. drill — army training
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. hand — in cards

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