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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · bay · hand · pass · nail · rush · pitcher · wake

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. hand — help
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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