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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. capital — a city
  6. pass — a permit
  7. track — a song
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rule — a law
  10. lean — to bend
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — thin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. track — a path
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. capital — money
  24. rule — government

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