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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. last — final
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — a series
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pass — a permit

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