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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. drill — army training
  8. toast — bread
  9. rash — a series
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lean — thin
  12. drill — the tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bound — certain
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. snap — to click

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