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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 124 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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468
Word bank
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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. key — in music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. drill — a practice
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pass — a permit
  16. drill — the tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. drill — army training
  21. key — the most important part
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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