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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. land — a country
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. craft — boats
  8. cell — a phone
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. swing — music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. land — ground
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. swing — to play on
  23. craft — a skill
  24. land — to come down

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