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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mine — for digging
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pass — to succeed

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