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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. can — a tin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — part of the head
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. drill — the tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. face — to point toward
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. face — to confront

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