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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: drill · calf · stick · pass · rush · leaves · track · prune

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. drill — a practice
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. prune — to trim
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — a song
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — a path
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pass — to succeed

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