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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wake — a trail
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. hand — help
  8. content — the amount
  9. mug — a cup
  10. content — happy
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mug — a face
  14. charge — in control
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pass — a permit
  20. charge — a price
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. hand — part of the body

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