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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. swing — in golf
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. track — a path
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. track — a song
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chest — a box
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rest — a break
  24. track — to keep track

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