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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — boats
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pass — a permit
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. present — there
  11. degree — an amount
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. present — a gift
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. vault — a safe
  20. present — the time now
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. craft — a skill
  24. hide — animal skin

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