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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 120 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: track · wind · wake · pass · mate · bay · prune · bulb

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — a path
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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