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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pass — a permit
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. season — in sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. season — of the year
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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