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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rest — a break
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. track — a path

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