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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. can — a tin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to click
  10. can — a tin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — help
  17. lie — to recline
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. hand — in cards
  24. perch — for a bird

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