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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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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. can — a tin
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. tube — a container
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bat — for baseball

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