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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bank — for money
  4. lean — thin
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rush — hurry
  10. spell — letters
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spell — magic
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. object — a thing
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pass — to spend time

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