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

Word bank: jam · snap · pass · tear · bay · bowl · saw · land

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. snap — to click
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. land — to come down
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. land — a country
  24. bowl — to roll

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