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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. current — of water
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. branch — a division
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cell — a phone
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. current — electric
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. current — happening now
  20. band — a ring
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rash — on the skin

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