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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pass — a permit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. season — in sport
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bank — for money
  20. kid — child
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bass — low music
  24. season — of the year

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