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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lean — thin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. snap — to click
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pass — a permit
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — in sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lean — to bend
  20. track — a song
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. track — to keep track
  24. can — a tin

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