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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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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: fall · object · can · rule · straw · pass · track · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. object — an aim
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. object — to protest
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fall — the season
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fall — to drop
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. can — to be able to
  17. track — a path
  18. can — a tin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. object — a thing
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rule — to rule out

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