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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. land — a country
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — ground
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spell — magic
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — to play on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. swing — 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