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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: mate · bay · bowl · dip · rush · pass · stick · wake

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mate — a partner
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mate — a friend

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