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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. foot — a measure
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — certain
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bound — tied together

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