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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. object — an aim
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. object — to protest
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bank — of a river
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rash — a series
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bank — for money
  13. band — a ring
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — to eat
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bank — for money
  21. object — a thing
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. band — a music group

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