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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bat — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. object — a thing
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. branch — a division
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. object — an aim
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. object — to protest
  22. kick — in football
  23. present — the time now
  24. bank — for money

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