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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: date · pass · stick · prune · leaves · chest · mark · mug

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mug — a face
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chest — a box
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chest — of your body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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