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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · track · mate · chest · season · suit · pass · staff

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pass — a permit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mate — a friend
  6. track — a song
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. season — of the year
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. chest — of your body
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mate — a partner
  18. season — in sport
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chest — of your body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chest — a box

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