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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pit — in a race
  8. drill — a practice
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — a division
  17. track — to keep track
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. drill — army training
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. temple — side of the head

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