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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — final
  6. swing — music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. last — finally
  15. bass — low music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. last — to go on

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