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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: mate · race · lean · pop · file · bay · mark · pass

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pop — to visit
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pop — soda
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pop — music
  9. race — humankind
  10. file — a document
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. file — a tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lean — thin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mate — a friend
  22. race — a contest
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mark — a trace

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