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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. track — a path
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — a song
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wax — to grow
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. prune — to trim
  19. snap — to click
  20. track — to keep track
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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