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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — help
  8. current — of water
  9. spell — letters
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — a path
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mark — a trace
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pass — a permit
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. row — a line
  22. track — to keep track
  23. current — happening now
  24. hand — in cards

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