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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — a song
  4. object — a thing
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. race — a contest
  8. cell — a phone
  9. spring — of water
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spring — the season
  13. race — humankind
  14. track — a path
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bank — for money
  17. object — to protest
  18. spring — a coil
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cell — in biology
  21. spell — letters
  22. object — an aim
  23. spell — magic
  24. bank — for money

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