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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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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: temple · track · wind · pass · staff · toast · firm · trunk

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. staff — a stick
  4. track — a path
  5. staff — employees
  6. wind — moving air
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. staff — employees
  12. firm — decided
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. toast — bread
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. firm — steady
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — a song
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pass — a permit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. firm — a company
  24. wind — to turn a key

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