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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 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bank — of a river
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — a path
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — of the year
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chair — a leader
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. track — a song
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. chair — a professorship

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