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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cap — of ice
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. capital — money
  14. cap — a hat
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. roll — a list
  19. capital — a city
  20. roll — a cake
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mug — a face

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