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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. drill — army training
  4. content — the amount
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. last — finally
  13. drill — a practice
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. saw — the tool
  18. last — to go on
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. content — happy
  21. drill — the tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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