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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pass — a permit
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. track — to keep track
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. kid — to tease
  18. track — a path
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kid — child

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