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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — of the year
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. snap — to click
  5. pass — a permit
  6. band — a music group
  7. track — a path
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. track — a song
  20. band — a ring
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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