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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — to keep track
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. last — finally
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a dance
  16. track — a path
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. last — final
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. last — to go on

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