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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rash — a series
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. track — to keep track
  13. kick — in football
  14. swing — music
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mark — a trace
  19. track — a path
  20. swing — in golf
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. swing — to play on
  24. kick — a thrill

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