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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — the season
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. present — the time now
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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