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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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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: last · mate · pass · object · tear · can · jam · net

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — a permit
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. net — for catching
  15. last — finally
  16. can — a tin
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — to protest
  20. last — to go on
  21. net — in sport
  22. mate — a friend
  23. last — final
  24. pass — to spend time

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