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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rule — government
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pass — a permit
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rule — a law
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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