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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wake — a trail
  4. chest — of your body
  5. track — a song
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bowl — a dish

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