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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. track — a song
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cell — a phone
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pass — a permit
  13. track — a path
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fine — high quality
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fine — all right
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mate — a partner
  24. tube — a container

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