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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: leaves · wave · lie · pass · roll · content · race · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — a path
  8. roll — a cake
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. race — humankind
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. roll — a list
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. lie — to recline
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. leaves — of a tree

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