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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hand — in cards
  5. field — a subject
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. field — farmland
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — a company
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rush — hurry
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. firm — decided
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hand — help
  23. field — for sport
  24. firm — steady

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