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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. march — the month
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. club — a group
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. march — the month
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. club — for golf

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