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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. land — to come down
  5. pass — a permit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. land — a country
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lean — thin
  12. season — in sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. can — a tin
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mine — for digging
  22. land — ground
  23. season — of the year
  24. foot — part of the body

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