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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: pass · jam · pop · rest · kid · file · dip · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pop — music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pop — to visit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pop — soda
  14. file — a tool
  15. rest — a break
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. kid — child
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rest — what's left
  21. file — a document
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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