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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rest — a break
  4. last — to go on
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — to shout
  7. last — finally
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pass — a permit
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. clip — a video
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stand — to bear
  24. last — final

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