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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: pass · roll · charge · chest · straw · clip · craft · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. clip — for paper
  3. roll — a list
  4. charge — in control
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — a price
  12. track — to keep track
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. craft — boats
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. charge — electricity
  22. track — a song
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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