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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — a song
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. spring — the season
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spring — of water
  24. track — a path

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