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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: tear · bay · sharp · rest · squash · toast · bound · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bound — certain
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rest — a break
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. toast — bread
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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