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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. dip — to sink
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cap — a lid
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. snap — to click
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. last — final
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — music
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cap — of ice
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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