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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. spell — magic
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — a permit
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rock — a stone
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — a division
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. craft — boats
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. scale — in music
  23. rock — music
  24. leaves — to go away

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