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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. current — electric
  4. bark — to shout
  5. capital — money
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. current — of water
  11. pass — a permit
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kid — child
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — happening now
  19. capital — a city
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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