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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cap — a lid
  4. net — in sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cap — a hat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. net — after costs
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bass — low music
  24. net — for catching

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