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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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Word bank
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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kid — child
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to click
  12. mark — a grade
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mark — a trace
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. tube — a container
  22. pass — a permit
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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