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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stock — shares
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stock — goods
  6. pass — a permit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wake — a trail
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bound — tied together
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. snap — to click
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bound — certain

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