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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bank — for money
  4. drill — the tool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. swing — music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — a practice
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pass — a permit
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. can — a tin
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bank — of a river
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bank — for money
  24. arm — part of the body

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