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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. march — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spell — magic
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — to fit
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — to spend time

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