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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 116 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitch — completely
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pass — a permit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hand — in cards
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. hand — help

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