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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. track — a path
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rest — a break
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bound — certain
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — a container
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rest — what's left

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