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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. root — of a word
  10. season — in sport
  11. root — the cause
  12. track — a path
  13. pass — a permit
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. root — of a plant
  21. hand — help
  22. track — a song
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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