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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lean — to bend
  7. squash — to crush
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. sharp — clever
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lean — thin
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pass — a permit

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