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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: arm · last · present · track · tube · mug · shower · pass

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. last — final
  3. present — there
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — to rob
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. shower — to wash
  8. last — finally
  9. shower — rain
  10. last — to go on
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mug — a face
  13. present — a gift
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. present — the time now
  19. track — a song
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. track — to keep track
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. track — a path

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