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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — obliged
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bound — certain
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rash — a series
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mate — a friend

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