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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. object — an aim
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. object — to protest
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. band — a music group
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — a thing
  13. bank — of a river
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a ring
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — low music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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