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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lean — to bend
  6. key — in music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pass — a permit
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lean — thin
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — a division
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pit — in a race

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