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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. staff — employees
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. race — humankind
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. game — a match
  15. track — a song
  16. staff — employees
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. track — a path
  20. staff — a stick
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wake — before a funeral

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