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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — a division
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. roll — a cake
  17. spell — magic
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. roll — a list
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — a supporter

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