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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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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. current — happening now
  4. firm — steady
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. file — a line of people
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. current — electric
  11. firm — decided
  12. file — a document
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pass — a permit
  15. current — of water
  16. last — final
  17. file — a tool
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. drill — army training

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