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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. content — the amount
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. last — final
  12. fall — to drop
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fall — the season
  15. last — to go on
  16. content — happy
  17. bore — to tire
  18. last — finally
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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