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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pop — music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pop — soda
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chest — a box
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — to spend time

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