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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 124 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. current — happening now
  6. pass — a permit
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. current — of water
  11. bank — for money
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. saw — the tool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. current — electric
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. snap — to click

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