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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spell — letters
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mate — a friend
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pass — a permit

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