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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bass — low music
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. jam — in traffic

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