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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. drill — army training
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wind — moving air
  10. scale — size or range
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. mug — to rob
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pass — to succeed

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