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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bank — for money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spring — a coil
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — of a river
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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