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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. last — final
  7. ball — a great time
  8. track — a song
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — to go on
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — a path
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. track — to keep track

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