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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pit — in a race
  15. clip — a video
  16. bass — low music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. clip — for paper
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. face — to confront
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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