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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — the season
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. kid — child
  8. fall — to drop
  9. row — a line
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tube — a container
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. deal — to handle
  24. row — a quarrel

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