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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. band — a music group
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. drill — a practice
  6. season — in sport
  7. drill — the tool
  8. band — a ring
  9. race — a contest
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. season — of the year
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. dip — to sink
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rock — a stone
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. drill — army training
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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