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

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. race — humankind
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bear — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pop — music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pass — a permit
  24. race — a contest

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