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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: band · fork · bay · wake · can · pass · kick · toast

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. band — a ring
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. band — a music group
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pass — a permit
  24. kick — in football

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