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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — a tin
  13. rash — a series
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. can — to be able to
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. last — final
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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