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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. land — a country
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lean — thin
  6. land — ground
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rash — a series
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. land — to come down
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pass — a permit
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bore — to tire

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