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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. drill — army training
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. track — a path
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. track — a song
  12. drill — the tool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rule — a law
  19. lean — thin
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pit — a hole

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