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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. last — finally
  7. row — to paddle
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. can — a tin
  11. last — to go on
  12. land — a country
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. row — a line
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. drill — the tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. last — final
  22. drill — army training
  23. can — a tin
  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