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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 116 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: rest · hide · bay · nail · mug · drill · track · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. track — a path
  9. mug — a cup
  10. track — a song
  11. rest — a break
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. drill — a practice
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rest — what's left
  16. drill — army training
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. drill — the tool
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mug — a face
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mug — to rob

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