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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lean — to bend
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. kick — in football
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. capital — money
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. suit — in cards
  24. foot — a measure

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