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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. tube — the underground
  4. content — happy
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. content — the amount
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. present — the time now
  13. drill — army training
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. tube — a container
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fork — in a road
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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