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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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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fall — to drop
  9. band — a ring
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fall — the season
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. band — a music group
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — a division
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — for light
  24. craft — a handicraft

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