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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bank — for money
  6. tube — the underground
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kick — in football
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. last — to go on
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. tube — a container
  22. lean — thin
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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