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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. last — to go on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. last — final
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bound — certain
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. last — finally
  20. bound — obliged
  21. tube — the underground
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bound — tied together

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