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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 go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — a box
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rash — a series
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. branch — a division
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. track — a song
  15. chest — of your body
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. track — a path
  21. chest — of your body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pass — to succeed

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