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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — a song
  4. band — a ring
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — a container
  18. pass — a permit
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. band — a music group
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. track — a path
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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