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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. spring — of water
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. track — a song
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — low music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. spring — the season
  19. mate — a friend
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lie — to recline
  22. track — a path
  23. pass — a permit
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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