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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: fall · chair · pass · rush · saw · tube · leaves · track

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. track — a path
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fall — the season
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pass — a permit
  11. track — a song
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rush — hurry
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chair — a leader
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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