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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. last — final
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — to go on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — the season
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spring — of water
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bank — for money
  24. last — finally

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