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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rash — hasty
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chair — a leader
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rash — a series
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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