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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cell — a phone
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in biology
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. track — a path
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. track — a song
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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