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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. tear — to rip
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bass — low music
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tear — from crying
  7. object — a thing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. object — an aim
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — to protest
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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