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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — a permit
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. present — there
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wind — moving air
  13. roll — a list
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bank — of a river
  17. present — the time now
  18. wind — moving air
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. season — in sport
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bat — the animal
  24. present — a gift

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