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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal

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