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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. can — to be able to
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. can — a tin
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mate — to breed
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bass — low music
  24. mate — a friend

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