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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. swing — in golf
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cold — not warm
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bound — certain
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bound — tied together
  21. swing — music
  22. snap — to click
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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