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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 120 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: pass · cap · spell · can · game · lean · bay · squash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — the sport
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spell — a short time
  9. game — a match
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pass — a permit
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cap — of ice
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — a hat
  18. game — wild animals
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — thin
  21. spell — magic
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. spell — letters
  24. can — a tin

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