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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hand — help
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pop — soda
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. lie — to recline
  23. staff — employees
  24. pop — music

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