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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. suit — in cards
  6. can — a tin
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. suit — clothes
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. suit — to fit

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