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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: land · rock · chest · pass · present · jam · rash · mark

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chest — of your body
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. land — to come down
  9. present — a gift
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chest — a box
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. present — the time now
  15. land — ground
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rock — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mark — a trace
  23. land — a country
  24. pass — to spend time

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