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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 120 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: wake · fine · track · deal · hand · perch · pass · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — all right
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fine — high quality
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hand — help
  21. track — a path
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. hand — in cards

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