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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — for digging
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. squash — the sport
  6. content — the amount
  7. present — there
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. present — the time now
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. present — a gift
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. content — happy
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pass — to succeed

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