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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 116 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: stick · pass · track · straw · swing · mine · pop · tear

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. track — a path
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. swing — music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. swing — to play on
  14. track — a song
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pop — music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mine — for digging

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