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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pop — soda
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pass — a permit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — humankind
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pop — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wake — a trail
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. race — the arms race
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. race — a contest
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. pass — to succeed

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