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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 116 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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. race — humankind
  5. snap — to click
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bound — certain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. race — a contest
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bound — obliged
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mine — for digging
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. shower — rain
  24. bowl — a dish

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