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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — a permit
  7. track — a song
  8. cap — a hat
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — to keep track
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cap — a lid
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cell — a phone
  18. march — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cell — in biology
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. march — the month

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