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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rock — music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. firm — a company
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. drill — army training
  20. mine — for digging
  21. firm — steady
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. firm — decided
  24. mine — an explosive

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